Angie Heuck’s Foundation Sees, Hears, and Uplifts Women

Angie Heuck is the definition of a compassionate executive. She’s the founder of a dedicated, female-led organization with a mission to support and connect with women. 

She helps others reach their potential by tapping into women’s’ collective power for a truly transformative experience in a judgment-free zone.

Get ready for the inspirational story behind Uplift:

What drove you to start your nonprofit?

​I care deeply about​ nonprofit work. Showing compassion for humanity, those who are marginalized, and those whose voices aren’t heard is something I’ve held close to my heart for as long as I can remember. When I was the foundation director for a hospital, I had the privilege to serve on several nonprofit boards, where I saw the impact philanthropy makes firsthand. But I also saw the funding gap because most nonprofits can’t financially assist individuals in need, but rather nonprofits who support individuals. Additionally, most nonprofits work on a rigid annual or semiannual funding cycle.

Then there was my personal experience with three women in crisis who needed financial assistance to get out of it. They could not wait a year or six months. They needed help immediately.

These experiences influenced my decision to move forward actively and creatively with the idea that had been stirring in my brain for three years. Women supporting women. Uplifting women from heartache to healing.

Tell us about Uplift!

Uplift is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization led by a multigenerational, diverse group of women who believe that when one woman is uplifted, she brings others with her. Uplift is dedicated to transforming women + children’s lives, with special attention to those in current crisis.

Tell us about your Uplift team, and what makes them creative & special!

​​​​I love this question! The Uplift board is the creative and strategic brainpower behind our mission. The soon-to-be seven amazingly talented women have extraordinary resumes but also have uniquely special life experiences. Each one of them has an unwavering passion for and commitment to women.

Our team intentionally represents five decades of creativity and experiences, ranging in ages from 19 to 52. We believe that representation matters. Our diverse board is geographically located throughout the country and helps shape Uplift operations, policies, and strategies that move us towards our public launch in mid-2021.

Additionally, our team is supported by an inventive and diverse group of female creatives who have helped us develop our brand (The Worth It Approach). We’re assisted by our web designer (Kayleigh Noele Design), our brand photographer (Carly McCray Photography), our website translator (Katie Mileski Translation Services), and our social media strategist (Leah Knights Creative), and more! We believe wholeheartedly in supporting women in every aspect of our organization. 

What are some practices you recommend for women who are trying to find their purpose?

​​There is a quote by Oprah that I saved from nearly a decade ago that was printed on the sleeve of a coffee cup (remember when Starbucks had those cool quotes on their sleeves?) It read, “Follow your passion. It will lead to your purpose.” It resonated with me because I truly feel like our passion fuels that energy. Women are pulled in all kinds of directions. Let’s listen to what the universe is telling us by truly closing out all the “noise” (how much we should be making or what kind of car we should be driving, or what clothes we should be wearing). That is where we find our purpose. We should truly listen to our heart, what keeps us up at night, or what we keep circling back to. Listen intently to your heart. Listen to the universe.

P.S. It only took me about 40 years to figure that out. The universe shows you signs. You just need to be willing to listen and recognize them. 

What have you learned through the process of creating Uplift?

​Starting a nonprofit is not for the weak. Creativity is found in all aspects of a nonprofit’s framework: determining your mission, strategy, branding, and operations. While my background has provided me with operational expertise, I’ve had to use my creativity and life experiences to create that framework. What is in your heart isn’t always easy to put on paper. It took hours, days, weeks, months to put it all down on paper. Then research, rewrites, and more research.

You need to give yourself time to move forward. Be intentional with your time, without forcing it. The best piece of professional advice I’ve received in my 35 years as a professional is to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you! Have I mentioned the amazingly talented women on the Uplift board? They’re all way smarter than me!

How can we get involved?

Currently, Uplift is in our soft launch phase, where we’re building our visibility and raising money so we can publicly launch in mid-2021. When we publicly launch, we want to immediately fund women in crisis, so we’re actively fundraising between now and then. 

There are many ways people can get involved! Our grassroots strategy is to ask those who believe in our mission to share our page and posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Like and follow us + encourage your friends and family to as well. For those interested in volunteering their time + talent, we also have a volunteer application on our website (www.upliftingwomen.org). Lastly, if you are moved by the mission and the impact Uplift is making on those women in crisis, we humbly ask you to consider a donation to support the cause. 100% of gifts collected will go to a woman in crisis.

What’s your biggest goal & aspiration for Uplift?

All along, I have said that if Uplift helps one woman in crisis, all the time and work to launch will be well worth it. That is how deeply I feel about the mission.

My aspiration for Uplift is to help hundreds of thousands of women across the country who are in crisis and just need one outstretched arm to help lift them out of it. That is my heart’s desire: To share the stories of the women who went from heartache to healing because of Uplift’s donors’ generosity.

How do you unwind from a hard day? 

​Quietly surrounded by my husband and two dogs, with a book in my hand.

What drives you to get up every morning?

The passion to make a difference and a commitment to make an impact.

Uplift is my heart’s work. It is a beautiful culmination of creatively supporting and empowering women to help other women, focusing on those in current crisis. 

To learn more about Uplift, visit their site upliftingwomen.org and follow them on Instagram at @realuplift.